The Haunting of Stockade Lake

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The Haunting of Stockade Lake


Jim and Susan had just came in to the paranormal investigating scene. They have only been on one other active investigation, which was them just shadowing another couple, but it was time to venture out on their own. Having heard the stories from Stockade Lake, located in Custer State Park, this was a good place to start. The tales coming out of Stockade Lake ranged from boiling bubbling water to ghosts walking across the lake and through the campsites. This investigation wasn’t going to be to far above their heads but it would be challenging none the less.

Headless Creek

(images:9265547@N05/flickr)
Headless Creek

At home they went over everything that needed to be packed up. Flashlights, EMF meters, night vision cameras and infrared video recorders. Jim rounded up all the essentials they would need for their weekend trip. He got the tent packed, food gathered up and placed the cold things in a cooler, he grabbed lighter fluid for a fire and all the utensils that would be needed for any situation. Susan put changes of clothes for both of them into a backpack. After getting everything together they were going to need for their adventure, they packed it all in the back of their car and then proceeded to get a good night sleep. Rest was going to be something that was needed if they were going to have clear heads during their investigation.

Sleep deprivation is a common thing among the avid investigators. Wanting to spend as much time as possible investigating, then searching through the evidence that has been gathered, takes quite a bit of time. Hair pulling and baggy eyes are two of the most common signs you’re a ghost hunter. It is rather rewarding once you’ve found a piece of unexplained evidence that something beyond this world exists out there. All of this is what Jim and Susan were searching for. They are hoping to catch some real proof that can help validate them in the ghost hunter’s society.

Jim and Susan have been married for seven years. The first thing that brought them together was their love for comics. Comics led them to comic-cons around the world. That eventually turned in to aliens and then ghosts. Both of them had full time jobs that they loved. Susan worked at a call center for insurance. Some of the customers could be quite nasty but she loved engaging with the public and enjoyed talking even more. Jim worked as a sales rep for pet stores. He loved all animals and knew that animals could sense things that humans couldn’t. Jim’s favorite animal was obviously dogs, man’s best friend. He owned one pit pull and two German shepherds. They accompanied both of them almost everywhere they went.

Prisoner's Harbor

(images:erictrumbauer/flickr)
Prisoner’s Harbor

It was hard for either one of them to get any rest that night. Excited to jump in the car and head towards the lake. Jim and Susan lived in Sturgis, South Dakota, which made the drive roughly
around an hour. They both woke up at five sharp and brewed up two hot black cups of coffee. Coffee is the essential for any morning. The first sip you can never replicate so be sure you value it each and every time. Jim cooked up a hardy breakfast with eggs, bacon, hash browns and a buttered piece of toast. Breakfast is allegedly the most important meal of the day.

With a decent nights sleep, a stomach full of delicious coffee and even better food, they hopped in the car with the three pups and began making their way towards Custer State Park. Nerves were setting in to both of them. It wasn’t a sense of nervousness or fear but anxious nerves, wanting to get set up and get going. They pulled into their campsite around four. Evening wouldn’t roll around until after eight. The days were always much longer in the summer, so thumb twiddling was a common thing to do, waiting for the sun to go down. There was a couple camping on either side of Jim and Susan’s campsite. Each of them had actual RV’s, which some people say isn’t camping, but what’s wrong with a little luxury if you can afford it right?! They went to each of the couples and introduced themselves. John and Nancy were off to their left and Mark and Lexi were off to the left. Making quick small talk and then back to their car to unload everything they had stuffed to the brim in there.

The Haunting of Stockade Lake (Part 2)

Jim and Susan finally had the car unpacked and the sun was starting to drop over the horizon. The clouds lit up orange and red as the sun dropped. Everything looked like it was painted up in the sky. It was quite beautiful, sitting out on the chairs, with a campfire going and seeing such a gorgeous sunset. All the neighbors were outside looking at the same view. Lighting up the lake and projecting an even more gorgeous reflection off of the water.

Stockage Lake

image:KeenanAngelPhotography

The sun had completely set and it was becoming more dark by the minute. All the campfires around the lake were lighting up the sky. Somewhere between nine and ten the fires began to dwindle and the campers were heading to bed. Their neighbors were slowly heading towards their RV’s. Jim and Susan went over to John and Nancy and had asked them if they had heard any of the stories about ghosts around the lake. John said, “Yes, we’ve heard the stories but truthfully, aren’t they just stories at the end of the day?” Jim replied, “Well yes they are just stories but there have been numerous sightings. It makes one wonder if there is any truth to what people have seen.” They explained to John and Nancy what they were doing there and that they were hoping to catch some real evidence that could be shown to others. Jim and Susan knew this was the time to get their gear gathered up and start heading out to investigate.

They walked down by the lake and began going around the outer edges. Hoping to catch a shadow or, even better, a ghost walking along the water. This was obviously a long stretch of hope they were looking for but it never hurt to have wishful thinking. Making their way towards the bridge where the damn was, they had heard this was a hot spot, apparently a little girl had fallen from the bridge down the rocky damn to her death. Many campers had reported seeing signs of a little girl walking around this area. Jim and Susan were wanting to catch a voice or even a glimpse of this person. Jim was standing on the bridge and was looking down over the edge towards the rushing water that was flowing down the damn. The moon was finally come up in to the sky and lighting up the entire lake. Susan came over by his side and they thought for a second they saw a figure move but it was just the reflection of the moon on the rushing water. Nothing was being picked up on any recorder so they made their way down the bridge and over to some rocks that overlooked the whole lake.

Wander Past Camp Windigo

(images:33852511@N00/flickr)

They both climbed up on top of the rocks and sat down. Looking out towards the lake the stars and moon were shinning brilliantly against the water. Susan grabbed the infrared video recorder and pointed it out on the lake. Panning over the lake Susan wasn’t able to see anything. She was panning the camera back over the lake and came across a small flicker in the screen. She nudged Jim and he looked at the screen. There was definitely something there, so he had her put the camera down, they both jumped off the rocks and started walking back towards the campsites where the blip came from. Jim had the night vision camera out so they could see where they were walking. The night vision camera began flickering and they both looked at each other. There was something that wasn’t right going on around them. They felt a cold wind blow over the lake. Looking out towards the lake there was a figure that appeared above that water. As it moved towards the lake this figure was starting to illuminate brighter. A small girl was beginning to form as this ghost like figure was getting closer to the beach. This small girl was now walking on the beach and jumping in the water. Jim and Susan were almost in shock, in so much shock, they almost didn’t get their equipment out. Luckily with the good night sleep they had and of course the massive amounts of caffeine consumed throughout the day, they pulled their equipment out and began recording this little ghost girl frolicking on the beach. As Jim and Susan moved closer, the little girl turned and looked at them then ran behind John and Nancy’s RV.

The Haunting of Stockade Lake (Part 3)

Stockage Lake

(image: Robert Claus/flick)

Susan told Jim to hang back for a few minutes. She was going to go up to the RV and see if she could talk to the little girl or at least get a glimpse of her. She thought maybe she was scared of Jim. Men always seem to have a menacing presence a majority of the time and she thought maybe a little soft natured love might work better. Susan walked around the back of the RV and saw the little girl standing there. She called to her, “Hey there. What is your name? What are you doing back here?” The little girl looked up in shock. No one had ever tried to talk to her. Most of them just gasped in horror, tried to snap a picture and would run away in fear. This girl wasn’t sure why this woman was trying to talk to her.

Jim had his video recorder out and was standing off to the side of the RV recording everything that was going on. He was just as in shock as I’m sure both of the girl were that seemed to be conversing perfectly back and forth. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing but he knew that it was completely real. For it being their first investigation on their own, they had most certainly, hit the mother load. Not only were they seeing a ghost but they were talking to one clear as day.

Trollwood Stage

(images:125771319@N02/flickr) Trollwood Stage

The girl replied back to Susan, “I’m just looking for my family. They were around here camping but I can’t seem to find them.” Susan told her that she would help the girl find or family and that she wouldn’t have to worry anymore. After talking a little more with the girl she told her she would be right back and went over to Jim and told him what she had heard. She told Jim, “She’s looking for her family. She thinks they are around here somewhere. Do you think that she knows what year it is? Is she stuck in the same year that she died?” All of these questions needed to be answered. The even bigger question was, how were they going to get her back to her family? Susan did assure the little girl that she would help her. How do you return a ghost to something that is long gone?

Susan went back over to the girl behind the RV and asked her where she had seen her family last. The girl said they had been on the other side of lake camping but none of them were there whenever she went over to find them. Jim and Susan decided to walk with her to the other side of the lake in hopes to uncover some sort of clue. All three of them went walking down the road and came across the bridge, the same bridge this little girl died, the girl wouldn’t walk over the bridge no matter what Susan or Jim said. This made them wonder that maybe the reason she couldn’t continue in to the afterlife because of this bridge. What was it about the bridge that kept her locked here in this world. They walked back down the road and around the other side of the lake until they reached the campsites on the other side. Jim said to the little girl, “Can you show us where your family is camping?” She brought them about a hundred yards down a dirt path and there was no one there. The little girl began to cry. She just wanted her family and was lost in this world and couldn’t understand why.

Jim and Susan devised a plan that they thought might be able to return this little girl to her family. They went back to their campsite, packed up everything they brought into their car (visit over here to know what is private hire insurance? and its features) and drove back to where they had just walked to, on the other side of the lake. Morning was approaching quickly and the little girl was going to disappear. No ghosts ever came out during the day that they had ever heard. As they were unpacking their vehicle for the second time the sun was just beginning to come up over the horizon. Since they had been up all night both of them decided they would try their best to get some beauty sleep during most of the day. They had an even longer night ahead of them if they were going get this girl to cross to the other side.

The Haunting of Stockade Lake (Part 4)

Jim and Susan slept until about six o’clock that evening, on and off all day long. They woke up, brewed up some coffee and made some soup for dinner. Once dinner was over they both grabbed all their gear again and headed back out towards the lake looking for the girl. The came upon the beach and looked out on to the water. Jim nudged Susan and pointed out towards the middle of the lake. A little apparition was forming. The little girl was slowly moving towards them hovering over the water. She came to the edge of the beach and looked at both of them. She asked them, “Who are you guys? Do you know where my family is?” Susan and Jim looked at each other and realized that this girl had no recollection of meeting both of them last night.

Flathead Lake

(images:70267096@N00/flickr) Flathead Lake

Jim asked the little girl to follow them back to their camp. She complied and they went walking back up the beach. Once they got to their tents the little girl stopped before they made it in to their campsite. She said, “This is my families campsite. What are you people doing here?” Jim and Susan were hoping this was going to happen. Their idea was if they could get the little girl to go in to the tent and fall asleep that maybe it might put her at rest and she could rejoin her family. Seeing how squeamish and uneasy she was this was going to be a test of their skills.

They had all of their recorders and EMF readers out so even though they were genuinely helping, they were also trying to prove that ghosts are real, so they could show the world. Susan went up to the little girl and told her about their plan. The girl thought that she would give anything a shot to return to her family. Midnight was rolling around and Susan told the girl to go crawl in to the tent and try to go to sleep.

The little girl crawled in to the tent. Jim and Susan sat outside and watched for something to happen. No movement was coming from inside the tent and there were no sounds coming from anywhere around the lake. Everything was completely silent and that was almost as spooky as having a little ghost sleeping inside of their tent. Three o’clock rolled around and the wind began to blow. It almost sounded like a whistle or a howl coming over the lake. The tent began to slowly start glowing. Jim and Susan grabbed a camera and the video recorder and began photographing.

Crater Lake

(images:jmiske/flickr)
Crater Lake

The tent was shaking and the little girl came walking out and looked at both of them. She said, “thank you” and then started moving to the forest. Both Jim and Susan were thoroughly confused and they looked off in to the distance and as she was walking away. More ghosts began to light up in the forest. First one and then two. Next there was an entire family standing there waiting for the little girl to join them. Jim and Susan caught all of this amazing phenomenon on camera. Their silly yet daring plan just happened to work out. It was a long stretch but one they were glad they took. They packed up their gear in the car and finished out the night with one of the best sleeps they’ve ever had. Such an accomplishment was sitting on their shoulders. The ghost hunting, adventuring couple, was excited to get back home in Sturgis and go over all of their evidence and findings.

Jim and Susan packed up their tent early that morning and piled everything back in to their car. As they were driving out they saw that John and Nancy were getting their RV ready to leave. They stopped over and asked for their email addresses so they could send them info of what they had found. John and Nancy had said they were happy they all met and maybe they could go camping all together some time. Each couple said their goodbyes and Jim and Susan drove their car out of Stockade Lake. Once they were driving down the highway Jim looked in the rearview mirror and saw a little girl standing out on the lake. He shook his head and looked back as the sun was starting to come up and shined over the entire lake….

The End.

Keenan Angel
Keenan Angel
My name is Keenan Angel. I'm a photographer, writer and all things art related. I have my own style of writing which hopefully one day I can be known for. I enjoying inserting some of my pictures I take into my stories to bring everything to life. I feel if I can write a story and photograph the general idea of what I'm thinking it helps seal everything into a nice artistic package. I hope everyone enjoys my stories, my thoughts and art.

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